In Theory
'' |image= |series= |production=40274-199 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore |director=Patrick Stewart |imdbref=tt0708735 |guests='Michele Scarabelli' as Jenna D'Sora, Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien, Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien, Pamela Winslow as Ensign McKnight, Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan |previous_production=The Mind's Eye |next_production=Redemption Part 1 |episode=TNG D25 |airdate=3 June 1991 |previous_release=The Mind's Eye |next_release=Redemption Part 1 |story_date(s)=Stardate 44932.3 |previous_story=The Mind's Eye |next_story=Redemption Part 1 }} =Summary= Data and Jenna D'Sora are in the torpedo room configuring several probes with which the Enterprise will explore a nearby nebula. D'Sora explains that she just split up with her boyfriend and Data attempts to comfort her. Later they play together in a chamber concert along with Keiko O'Brien. D'Sora complains of her abilities as a musician, but Data insists that he could not hear anything wrong. Later on the bridge, Data is reviewing the information from the probes sent into the nebula. He theorises that life might have evolved differently in the nebula because of the volume of dark matter detected. Captain Picard orders the ship to the nearest planet within the nebula. Data and D'Sora configure further probes, when she kisses him on the cheek and then on the lips, before leaving the room. Data seeks the opinion of his friends, including Picard, Guinan, Geordi La Forge, Commander Riker, Deanna Troi and Worf. Data decides to pursue the relationship and goes to D'Sora's cabin with a bunch of flowers, where he informs her that he created a romantic sub-routine for the relationship. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is approaching the planet. Picard enters his ready room and finds his belongings scattered on the floor. He calls in Worf, who cannot explain their displacement. D'Sora arrives at Data's cabin where he is painting. She tells him to continue, but is then annoyed when he does so, causing him some confusion. The ship arrives at the coordinates for the planet but finds nothing there. Then it suddenly appears as the ship's computer warns of a depressurization in the observation lounge. The crew investigate and find all the furniture piled in one corner of the room. Data is visiting D'Sora, but she seems unhappy and he is acting erratically in order to find an appropriate response to make her happy. It becomes evident to the crew that the nebula is causing distortions in space; Picard orders the ship into warp to leave the nebula as quickly as possible but this speeds up the distortions. Whilst investigating them, Lt. Van Mayter is killed when a distortion embeds her into the deck. Data discovers that dark matter is causing the distortions. The ship can detect the pockets at short range, but not in enough time to move out of the way. Worf proposes using a shuttle to lead the Enterprise out, and Picard insists on piloting it alone. Picard pilots the shuttle through the field of distortion pockets. Chief O'Brien (Colm Meaney) transports the Captain back to the ship before the shuttle is destroyed. The approach resulted in the Enterprise nearing the edge of the nebula, and they quickly depart. Afterwards, D'Sora reveals to Data over a romantic dinner in his quarters that she broke up with her boyfriend because he was emotionally unavailable and then pursued him because he was the same. Data realises that she is breaking up with him and explains that he will delete the subroutine. D'Sora departs and Data blows out the candles seemingly unperturbed. =Errors and Explanations= Continuity and Production Problems # Why is the female crew member who became buried in the floor facing La Forge when he approches, despite walking away from him when she left.? She may have turned around when she fell. Nit Central # Richard Compton on Tuesday, September 12, 2000 - 1:00 pm: After Geordi captures Spot and hands him to Data, they enter Data's quarters. The door starts closing but stays open a couple inches until it's out of shot. Next time it's seen, it's shut all the way. Sophie Hawksworth on Saturday, February 23, 2002 - 6:35 am: Perhaps the distortion phased through the door mechanism causing the door itself to spring open. ' # ''Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Friday, July 27, 2001 - 4:01 am: After discovering some of his desk items on the floor, Picard asks Worf to come to the Ready Room and bring a tricorder. Where exactly is the Tricorder dispenser on the Bridge? ''JD (Jdominguez) on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 1:20 pm:'' I imagine Worf got his tricorder from one of the two banks of fifteen equipment lockers on opposite bulkheads on the bridge. We never see them used, but then again we never see the bathrooms up there... :-) Don F (TNG Moderator) (Dferguson) on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 2:12 pm: This makes sense, we have seen phasers stashed everywhere in the Star Trek world, including cargo bays and in the kitchen. I don't doubt you can get a tricorder just about anywhere on the ship, I bet the have pez like dispensers at every intersection on the ship. Heck with as much weird hoojoo that takes place on a weekly basis there I am surprised it isn't standard issue for everyone on the ship to have a tricorder on their person at all times.' # If the woman in the floor is dead, then why isn't her body slumped down or flopped over? Usually when someone is dead or unconscious their muscles relax, not stiffen up. (And it was too soon for rigor mortis.) '''If I remember correctly, she was too far down for that.' # If these anomalies cause a surface like a shelf, table or floor to cease to exist, then why doesn't the object on the surface cease to exist when it falls through the anomaly? Perhaps the anomaly acts like a micro wormhole. # Wouldn't sending probes into an unexplored nebula be a smarter thing to do than just take the ship in? The nebula may overwhelm the sensors on the probe. # LUIGI NOVI on Friday, February 22, 2002 - 8:06 pm: Is Jenna in engineering, or security? During the episode, she works with Data on the modified torpedoes, and Data mentions to Guinan in Ten Forward his assessment of Jenna’s understanding of the dilithium matrix application. This would mean she’s an engineer. But when Data goes to Worf for advice on relationships, Worf says that Jenna serves under his command, and when Data comes to Jenna’s quarters with the "Honey, I’m home!" bit, she tells him "we" ran a full security sweep. This would mean she’s in security. Is she pulling double duty for extra credit, or something? kerriem on Saturday, February 23, 2002 - 1:35 pm: It's possible that certain Security officers might have some engineering knowledge, in the same way a modern-day police force includes forensic specialists. In other words, maybe Jenna is trained especially to handle technological investigations? Seniram 08:59, August 19, 2015 (UTC) Especially as approximately a third of Geordi's engineers are security qualified, as demonstrated by his comment to Riker in Chain of Command Part 1. # constanze on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 12:04 pm: So, Picard is in the shuttle, and a relay is being established between the shuttle's and the Enterprise's navigational controls, but Picard still announces what course changes to take? Why not automatically, would be quicker? He's making sure the Enterprise is following the course correctly. =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation